Hello, MAHLI

September 12, 2012

This image shows the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on NASA's Curiosity rover, with the Martian landscape in the background. The image was taken by Curiosity's Mast Camera on the 32nd Martian day, or sol, of operations on the surface (Sept. 7, 2012, PDT or Sept. 8, 2012, UTC). MAHLI, with its LED (light-emitting diode) lights on, can be seen in the middle of the picture. Scientists and engineers imaged MAHLI to inspect its dust cover and check that its LED lights are functional.

Scientists enhanced the color in this version to show the Martian scene as it would appear under the lighting conditions we have on Earth, which helps in analyzing the terrain.